Settlement Behavior of New Reinforced Earth Retaining Walls under Loading-Unloading Cycles

Abstract

Three new types of reinforced earth structures were introduced including reinforced gabion retaining wall, green reinforced gabion retaining wall and flexible wall face geogrid reinforced earth retaining wall. In order to study settlement behavior of these three retaining walls, lab tests were carried out. Cyclic loading-unloading of different levels (0~50kPa, 0~100kPa, 0~150kPa, 0~200kPa, 0~250kPa, 0~300kPa, 0~350kPa) were imposed. The settlement behaviors of retaining walls were analyzed, and secant modulus when loading and unloading was obtained. Results show that retaining walls present great elastic and plastic deformation, and plastic deformation is greater than elastic deformation. Secant modulus decreases with the increase of loading-unloading cycles under the same loading level. Unloading secant modulus is bigger than loading secant modulus in the same cycle. With the increase of loading level, both elastic and plastic deformation increase, and plastic deformation increases more quickly than elastic deformation.